In this article, we describe a collaboratively developed information literacy curriculum that was embedded into three core 8th grade subjects: Algebra, American History, and English Language Arts. The curriculum was rooted in the concept of generalist literacy and supported students as they developed their curiosity, skepticism, commitment to…

Foreign language lessons at school are designed to form key competences, with communicative competence being an important one, implying students' ability and readiness to communicate in a foreign language. However, there are difficulties in mastering the foreign language. As before, the main ones are: the lack of active oral practice, the absence…

Researchers and policymakers have pointed to the lagging scores of eighth graders on international, national, and state assessments as evidence that students are not prepared to meet high academic standards and that middle grades reform is needed. In response to these concerns, educators have introduced reforms designed to provide middle-level…